The ARDS has been recognized as a part of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) or multiple organ dysfunction syndromes (MODS). It is a life-threatening inflammatory lung condition characterized by severe acute hypoxemia, respiratory distress and pulmonary edema. In spite of the advances in ventilator and circulation therapy, it is reported that the mortality rate of patients with ARDS still remains high and it exceeds 50%.
Recently, no selective pharmacotherapy is available for ARDS. At present, in a clinical use, glucocorticoid anti-inflammatory steroids, which are very potent immunosuppressive agents, have not proved to be beneficial (TiPS, 14:436-441, 1993). Even high-dose glucocorticoid therapy of patients at risk of developing ARDS neither improved the clinical outcome nor reversed ARDS progression (Chest. 103:932-943, 1993).